Twilight, Midnight, and Dawn
by Lyrically Uninspired
Summary: A little romance for my favorite characters. Includes all your favorite characters and more.  What happens after Midna destorys the mirror and Hyrule is safe once more?  Let's watch, boys and girls.
1. Chapter 1

**Ohai. I'm Joey. I really don't want to drag this A/N out seeing as it's the first chapter, so I'll talk to you some at the end(:**

"Link… I… I'll see you later." With that, Midna, the true Twilight Princess, stepped through the mirror into Twilight. Unexpectedly, the mirror shattered behind her.

Link felt a tug at his heart… his best friend was gone, probably forever. He couldn't piece the mirror back together… there were too many pieces, and most of them had disintegrated. He gulped and hung his head.

"Link… Thank you. Hyrule is safe again, Hero." Zelda put a hand on his shoulder. He shivered at her touch.

He did in fact love Zelda, and he had ever since he saw her for the first time. She had sent his heart into overdrive every time he saw her. He knew she couldn't possibly feel the same way…

"Princess, what do I do now?" he asked. What _could_ he do? Returning to Ordona didn't seem appropriate. Too much had happened, and no one would think of him the same way ever again. Staying in Kakariko Village would be asking way too much of the people – they had already done _so_ much to help him. And… If he stayed in Castle Town, people would know him as the Hero. He didn't want the attention. He didn't want to be the Hero. He just wanted to be Link.

Zelda half smiled. "You could return home, if you like. Really, you can do anything. You're the Hero of Hyrule. Anything you want, you can have. You could even come stay in the Castle if you want. And… please, you can call me Zelda." She gave his shoulder a squeeze, and his stomach tightened. Had she just offered to let him stay in the Castle?

He smiled a bit and sighed slightly. "I'm not sure what I'll do."

"Why don't we go back to Castle Town for now? There's going to be a celebration for you tonight. I want you to come."

Link couldn't say no. Zelda had asked him… She wanted him there. "Alright. I'll take you back."

Zelda slipped her arm through his and Link led her out of the mirror chamber. He couldn't warp anymore… Midna wasn't with him. He walked them through the grounds until they were in the open desert. He used the horse call Ilia had given him and Epona came running. He smiled and mounted his horse. Zelda sat side-saddle behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. They rode off towards Castle Town, ready at long last to be going somewhere close to home.

As the two entered Castle Town, they were greeted by a large crowd of citizens and guards. The guards were soon surrounding the Princess and escorting her to the castle. She turned and smiled at Link, and before she was out of sight, Link saw her mouth the words, "See you soon."

The people all took their turn shaking hands with the Hero, and a group of three girls nearly fainted. After most of the excitement died down, Link slipped away and headed for South Castle Town.

Outside her window, just like always, was Reynie with his short blonde hair and guarded look. "Hero… I thought you already got the bugs. What are you doing here? Normal people don't even _like_ bugs."

Link simply smiled at him and passed through the door into Agitha's Castle.

He stepped in and walked slowly around the large tree in the middle of the room. Agitha's face lit up with excitement. Link opened his arms and she ran into the embrace.

"Link! You did it!" she squealed happily. He took a step back to look at her. It still baffled him that she was fourteen, only three years younger than he. She looked as though she were ten…

"It's good to see you," he said with a smile. Agitha always had a certain glow around her that made Link smile no matter the circumstance.

"I was afraid you would forget me, once you became an important Hero I mean." She smiled up at him.

"I wouldn't forget you, silly." This was true. She was practically his sister. Even now he couldn't think of another reason why he would go out of his way to collect bugs for her… It was never about the money. It was always that satisfaction of seeing Agitha's eyes widen and her face light up when she got a new bug for her ball.

"There's a party for you tonight," she said.

"I know," Link said back. "Are you going?

"I think it would be fun," she smiled.

A grin spread across his face. "I think you should. You'd definitely have a lot of fun."

"Then I'll see you there," she laughed lightly.

With one last hug and goodbye, Link left Agitha's castle and headed straight for Telma's bar. He'd been almost surprised that she hadn't shown up to meet him at the gate, as she had become such a close friend. Then, however, he realized she might have wanted a more private reunion.

He slipped inside and dropped is jaw. Not only Telma, but Renado, Ilia, Talo, and Beth were there, too.

He was tackled with a chorus of, "LINK!"

There was a lot of catching up to do, and everyone was buzzing with excitement. Only… Link didn't want them to know how much he'd killed. He himself couldn't stand the thought. At times, he felt the only good that came of the whole "Hero" experience was the people he'd met. People like Agitha, Renado, Telma… People like Midna, his best friend, and, most of all, Zelda.

His heart ached when he thought of Midna. He wouldn't see her again… Dammit, Midna. She _had_ to destroy the mirror.

Link tried his best to focus the conversation on his friends. The best news he'd heard all day was that Renado and Telma were now engaged. He smiled and congratulated them whole-heartedly. It wasn't until an hour before the celebration that Renado and Telma decided to get ready for the party. The bar would certainly be busy. Even Talo volunteered to help out.

Beth smiled at Link. "You haven't heard from Ralis lately, have you?

He paused a moment, thinking back to the last time he'd seen the Zora Prince. "I did see him a while back in the Zora's Domain. He's in charge there, now, since his mother passed. He's been doing really well."

She looked down, but smiled a little. "That's good. I'm glad he's doing well."

Ilia patted her on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go help. See you, Link. Good to have you back." Beth stood and walked towards Talo who was cleaning up tables.

"It's been a while, Link," Ilia said, laughing.

Link looked up and down at his childhood friend. It seems she had grown a lot, too. Everyone had. How long had he been away, saving them from a horrible ruler? I couldn't even begin to imagine.

"It really has." He finally replied.

"I… I've missed you." She half smiled.

Link smiled and touched her shoulder. "I missed you too. You gave me a really bad scare when you lost your memory…"

"It was awful," she agreed. "But I always had the strangest feeling that I knew you."

They talked a while longer, changing around the subject. Link was glad to hear that everyone had been doing well.

There was a hesitant knock at the door, and Telma called, "WE'RE CLOSED UNTIL THE CELEBRATION OFFICIALLY BEGINS!"

The door opened anyway and a black hooded figure stepped in. Link recognized that cloak…

The figure dropped the hood, revealing Zelda's all too beautiful face. "I'm very sorry for barging in like this… but I need Link for the celebrations, if that's alright," she said politely. She smiled sweetly, and Telma nodded and apologized for her previous rudeness.

Link waved goodbye to everyone and left with the Princess.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Actually," Zelda began, pulling her hood back up. "I wanted to take you to my rose garden. We haven't had a proper chance to talk, it seems."

Link felt his face heat up as they passed through Castle Town. Link was getting way more attention than he was used to.

Zelda led him into the castle and off to a side where a little rose garden was hidden. It was beautiful, and smelled incredible. Link smiled and looked around as Zelda removed her cloak. She sat on a small bench in the middle of the yard and gestured for Link to join her. He sat obediently and looked at the Princess. She was so… beautiful. They sat there for a moment. Zelda felt her cheeks go red after a while.

She loved the hero, this was true. And him being the hero was the one exception to the rule. They _could_ be together. She would tell him soon enough.

"Link, I…"

"Princess?" said a voice. A guard.

"Yes?" Zelda called back.

"Is the Hero with you? It's time for the festivities to start!"

Zelda looked back at Link and smiled. He stood, offering her a hand. She took it and the pair exited the garden.

"We're coming," said the Princess.

And with that, the two headed to the celebration of the Hero.

**A/N time! W00t!**

**Ew. I'm being cliché. But that's alright, because that's kind of the point. Hopefully I'll have some new twists on some loved clichés, no?**

**Well, hopefully you'll like where I'm taking this. It'll be fun, dramatic, and rather romance-y, but all around good. I hate having to say this, but I don't want anyone getting their odd little hopes up. There's will be no lemons. I'm not sorry.**

**I like to give shout outs every chapter, so for this one, how about you tell me your favorite color if you want a shout out? Mine is malachite(:**

**REVIEW PLEASE.**

**Because you love me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so not used to this much traffic and reviews… Do you all know how much you rock? A lot. That's how much.**

**So in honor of your awesomeness, here's chapter two, merely a day later. More A/N at the end(:**

Link…

It was the only word that kept her going. Midna had to destroy the mirror – it was the only way to keep peace between the lands that shouldn't mingle anyway. But… it was her only way to see him. Her only connection to Link.

Midna sighed and plastered on a smile for her people. They couldn't see her down like this; they needed her to be ready to take on the world, for she had an entire Twilight kingdom to tend to.

But… She couldn't help but wonder what Link was doing. Was he alright? Did he go back to Ordona? What of Telma? And… was he happy?

Midna couldn't bring herself to answer the latter. If he was happy, then she was certainly content. But… what if he wasn't? And… if he _was_ happy, did that mean that he didn't miss her?

He _had_ gone through seventeen years of his life perfectly fine without her… but he was a hero now! Surely that changed everything.

Midna sighed inwardly. It seemed getting Link out of her mind was no small task.

~!~

Link rubbed his eyes and blinked several times.

The celebration last night had been fun, but… he had hard time enjoying himself. It wasn't so much that he didn't enjoy parties; it was that he didn't enjoy parties for _him_. That had been more attention than he had ever wanted.

He looked around and sighed. He wasn't exactly sure how he ended up in the tower, but here he was. From here he could see the busy centre of Castle Town. **(I almost said Clock Town o.e I've been playing Majora's Mask lately xD) **

Link stood and stretched. He could also see the Castle from here…

He left the tower and crossed through the centre. Of course, he didn't go unnoticed.

This was getting to be more than he could handle.

Link entered the gates and stepped inside. He walked around the public area until a guard caught his attention.

"Hero, The Princess Zelda has sent this for you." The guard then produced a letter bordered with gold.

Link nodded his thanks and tucked the letter in his pouch. He then headed for the rose garden Zelda had shown him. When he was sure no one was around, he took out the letter and began reading.

_Link, _

_Thank you so much for everything, and I quite hope you enjoyed the festivities last night. My father has invited you to a dinner tonight, and I would love for you to come. And, if it's alright, I'd like to meet you at Telma's bar at three today. _

_Cordially, _

_Zelda_

Zelda wanted to see him? Again? Link's heart sped up. He smiled and paused a moment. Three… what time was it now?

He saw a clock read seven. He had a while.

In a split second decision, Link decided his time would best be spent visiting the Zoras. He hadn't seen them in a while, especially Ralis.

He left the town and called for Epona. There seemed to be fewer monsters everywhere… Link smiled. Had this been his doing? If so, then he was more than happy he'd been able to help. In almost no time at all, Link was at the entrance to the Zora's Domain. He entered none too hesitantly and headed through the columns up to the throne room. This place was so beautiful…

"Link?" A boy's voice said. "Link!"

Link smiled and walked up to the Zora Prince.

"Link, we heard about what you did. Know that you're _always_ welcome here, and you always have been. Don't be shy to visit!"

Link grinned. "Sure thing. And, thank you. How have you been?"

"Great, as has everyone else. How're Beth and everyone?"

"Everyone's good. I saw them all last night."

Ralis smiled. "That's good to hear. Let them know that they're welcome to visit, too."

It was Link's turn to smile. "I will."

"I'm glad you stopped by," Ralis said. "And I really hate to ask this of you… because you've already done so much…"

"What do you need? I'm always happy to help."

Ralis grimaced. "Well… you see, I decided to go and spread the word that I was the new ruler of the Zora's, and if anyone had any business, they needed to see me…

So I sent Malius to spread the word and give each group a Zora stone." The Prince held out a small, blue orb and turned it around in his hands. "They're a peace offering of our people. Unfortunately… Malius is missing, and I've heard no word from him or any of the group leaders. I know it's a lot to ask… but do you think you could find him? And give these out?"

Link smiled. It was certainly something to keep him occupied for a while. He could start tonight, right after his dinner with… with Zelda and the King of Hyrule.

"I'd be happy to help, Ralis. And I'll tell Beth and the others 'Hi' for you."

Ralis grinned. "Thanks Link! This is so much to ask, but I can't thank you enough." He then gave link a small bag of the blue orbs and the two chatted for another few moments before Link decided to make his leave.

Where to go? Link wondered. He still had a couple hours before he was to meet Zelda. A smile slowly spread across his face. He dove down the waterfall and into the Zora River. A few smiling Zoras waved and he waved back politely. He swam up the river and found land soon enough. He smiled and went to his favorite fishing spot.

Link had decided many times that it was the absolute most beautiful place in all of Hyrule. There were waterfalls all around the circular basin and a pool of crystal clear water. A rainbow was always somewhere, bring with it a glow like no other. Link always felt so peaceful here, so serene and darn right happy.

He and Midna would come here after long days of traveling to relax and recollect their thoughts. Maybe someday he could bring Zelda here…

Zelda.

How could she drive him so crazy? She was too perfect. Her long, silky brown hair; her perfect skin and smile; her amazing eyes…

Link shook his head. Maybe he was a little _too_ at ease here. He decided to go ahead and head back to Castle Town.

~!~

She had been waiting for ten minutes now… Why had she gotten here so early? It only drove her mad. Zelda longed to talk to Link… and she wanted to have a proper conversation with him. But she knew that she was also here to forewarn him about her father's offer…

Not a moment too soon, Link stepped through the door. He looked… distressed. Had he had a bad day? Was asking him to meet her here too much of a hassle? He was a Hero, after all… He probably had no time for this…

Zelda pulled her hood down and Link caught her eyes. He smiled, as did she. Link had such beautiful blue eyes… so powerful, so strong. He came and sat across from her at the table. It was in the back, so they wouldn't be over heard.

"Hello, Princess," Link said politely. He smiled a little.

"Hero," Zelda nodded. "I should warn you about tonight."

"The dinner?" he asked. Zelda couldn't look away from his eyes…

"Yes. I thought I should warn you that my father would like to knight you. He plans to inform you of this tonight… I wasn't sure how you would react, but regardless I thought I should tell you."

Link's eyes flickered with something… but his facial expression did not change. "That's quite an offer, thank you. And thank you for telling me. I can't turn down the King, now can I?"

Zelda half smiled. She couldn't tell whether or not he wanted this. "The ceremony wouldn't take place for a few weeks," she said.

"Perfect. There's something I need to take care of for the Zora prince. It shouldn't take too long, but I would hate to put that off."

Zelda nodded. He had just saved the world… and he was already doing people favors? He truly was amazing…

They talked briefly about things and people around the town. Link made Zelda giggle on several occasions, which only made Link smile as well. After nearly two hours, Zelda gasped.

"Five already? Dinner starts at seven… I should go back to the castle." She stood and walked over to Link. "See you soon," she smiled, and kissed him quickly on the cheek before darting out of the bar, pulling her hood up.

The touch of Zelda's lips on his skin made him heat up all over. He blushed and a grin spread across his face. Telma whistle and he snapped back to reality. She winked and he smiled a bit, rose, and headed back out to the town, where he was faced with admirers until dinner.

**So, there you are. A nice, lengthy chapter. Well… for my stuff, anyway.**

**I just love Link. He's so wonderful. **

**Well, I've been putting off things like homework for you guys, so I'll be seeing you(:**

_**The more you review, the faster I update!**_

**REVIEW.**

**Because I love you(:**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello(:**

**Glad to see you all again3**

**I'm trying to update fairly quickly, but I can only do so much. **

**I have a couple quick shout outs before I get on to the chapter…**

**First is RawkHawk2.0 whose favorite color is my favorite song. Go look up "Indigo" by Tom Milsom :P It's a pretty cute song.**

**And then we have Xx-Twitch-xX. You will get so tired of hearing about Twitch, as I actually know her xP**

**Here you go! **

Link checked the bag once more. Ralis had given him quite a few of these orbs… but only a few of them were needed. It had been a long day of temporary goodbyes and, of course, an all important dinner.

It hadn't really been anything too special, just a nice dinner in the hall of Hyrule Castle. Zelda sat next to him and the King brought up the rather tender subject of his living conditions. Zelda changed the subject quickly and shot her father a rather hesitant look. It was then that he brought up the subject of Link's being knighted. Link accepted the offer graciously, of course. Though he was still unsure whether or not he actually wanted this, he knew he couldn't decline such a gracious offer.

The King had said the ceremony would take place in three weeks in the centre of Castle Town. **(Dammit, I keep wanting to say "Clock Town…") **Link had plenty of time to mentally prepare himself, then. And in the meantime, he would be able to find Malius for Ralis. Link had decided it would be best to start in Ordona and make his way north. After the dinner, he said goodbye to Zelda who said, "Come back soon." And that was that.

He left with one question burning into his mind. What had become of him? He had done _so much_ killing over the past months. Or had it been years? He really had no clue anymore. But he didn't feel like himself anymore. He hated the fact that he had killed anything at all, let alone something that could truly respond emotionally to the situation.

It didn't take long for Link to reach his home village. Everyone was happy to see him, but he politely made everyone aware that he was in fact on a mission and couldn't stay long. Though they seemed disappointed, no one pushed.

Link made his was to Mayor Bo's house and stepped inside.

"Link!" the Mayor cried.

He greeted the Hero happily and pulled up a chair for him.

"Good to see you, lad. Ilia got home yesterday. You should see her before you head off again. Unless you're staying…?"

"Sorry, sir. I'm afraid I'm only here for a little while. In fact, I was hoping to make it to Kakariko village by morning… But I'll definitely see Ilia." Link smiled politely. He wondered if the mayor noticed it was forced. "I'm actually here to see you, though. You see, I have some news from the Zoras."

The mayor looked at him thoughtfully. "I see. And what is this news?"

"I don't know if you've heard, but their queen passed recently. Ralis, the Prince, is now in charge. Ilia had actually helped nurse him back to health not that long ago."

"Really? That's my girl, always helping out. So, the prince is in charge, you say? What does this change?"

"Nothing, really, but Prince Ralis has asked me to give you this." He pulled out one of the small blue orbs and dropped it in the Mayor's pudgy hand. "It's a peace offering of the Zoras. Ralis wants to get off on a good note with all the leaders in Hyrule."

Mayor Bo examined the orb curiously and smiled. "Fantastic, that's excellent news!"

"And… You haven't heard any word about a Zora named Malius, have you?"

The mayor scrunched his eyebrows. "I'm afraid not. Why?"

"Well, he's gone missing… If you hear anything, let me know."

He stood. "You have my word." Ilia came down the stairs and her eyes went wide.

"Link?" she said, and smiled. He tried to smile back, and something close enough was plastered on his face.

"Hey, Ilia."

"Link, do you think we could go to the spring?" she asked, blushing just a bit.

He sighed internally. "Sure thing." He turned to Mayor Bo. "Thank you for listening, and let me know if you hear anything."

"No problem, thank you for delivering the news," said the Mayor.

Ilia walked down to the spring with Link where Epona was waiting. The last time they were here together, everything that had led up to Link being a Hero happened in rapid succession. They entered the spring and Link felt himself regaining strength.

"Link… It's been a long time since we've been able to talk like this." Ilia smiled sadly. "I hope you'll find that you want to be back in Ordona with me."

Something about the way she had said that made his skin crawl. With her? How specific. She had no clue about his love for Zelda… She also didn't realize how things would simply never be the same from here on out. No matter what expectations people had back before everything happened, they were different now. Ilia had no idea how much Link had gone through.

"Thanks, but I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know that I can come back… it just wouldn't feel right."

"You're a lot different, Link," she said quietly. "Well… I'll miss you regardless." He thought he saw tears welling up in her eyes, but she turn away and started running towards the village before he could say for certain. He frowned and mounted Epona before he thought too much into it. He had a job to do and a person to find. There would be time later to make up with Ilia… but Link still had a dark feeling sweeping over him as it dawned on him exactly what had been said.

~!~

What was going on with him? Was he okay? Was he home? Was he safe?

Too many questions rang in her mind. She wanted to see Link…

Midna had spent all of her time like this recently. Then… something occurred to her. Could she communicate with the world in the Light? Maybe she could reach Link… Maybe in a dream.

She smiled and prayed that night would come soon for the Hero.

~!~

Link sighed. He had stayed up the whole night… riding to Kakariko Village from Ordona took time, but he was there at long last. To his pleasant surprise, Renado was in his sanctuary. He had almost expected him to still be in Telma's Bar…

"Link," Renado said politely. "I've heard you're doing Prince Ralis a favor. That's very kind of you."

Link wiped the puzzled look off his face. Renado _did_ have a connection to the prince. He shouldn't have been so surprised. "Yes, here." He handed Renado one of the orbs.

"Thank you. I always thought these were beautiful little stones. I also heard about Malius. I think I have some information for you."

Link's face lit up a bit. Had he found lead, perhaps?

Renado gave him an open letter. "The mailman delivered this to me several days ago. It was from Malius, just before he went missing. I'll let you take in the details. I'm actually heading off to Castle Town, so take care."

With that, Renado left the room.

Link opened the letter and began to read.

_Renado,_

_I was told you could help me. I'm in a bit of trouble. I can't say much, but I need you in the secret village. If you can't do it, then please send me help._

_This is life or death._

_Malius, Assistant to Prince Ralis_

Link felt like something was missing from this. It wasn't much, but it did tell him he should probably check the Hidden Village. Was Renado giving this responsibility to Link? Why?

He shook his head and headed to Death Mountain. After talking to Darbus, Link would be able to make it to the Hidden Village quickly, but before any of that, he needed to rest.

**So? How was it? **

**I particularly thought it could have been better. If it didn't have imporatn plot pieces, I don't think I would have bothered with this… But, yeah. Here you go.**

**And if it seems rushed, blame Xx-Twitch-xX :3**

**But seriously, I hope you guys liked it, and the next chapter will be more interesting :P**

**I don't remember who said Link was awfully smiley… But I noticed you and your comment. I was also too lazy to sign in to respond to it… but yeah, I like it when Link's happy. But, of course, that's all about to change :3 **

**I thought he may as well enjoy it while he can.**

**Thanks guys, I love you all3**

**REVIEW please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**GORO. Happy Gobble Gobble Day(: GORO. **

**Here's your Thanksgiving Day Chapter. GORO.**

**But first, I need to direct a quick message (GORO): to the person I told I forgot your name, Bob, hi(: And yes, the last chapter was rushed because someone *COUGH* TWITCH *COUGH* was bored and needed some reading material. …GORO.**

**But I do like to keep the updates coming. GORO.**

**So here you all go! GORO.**

Link bolted upright. That had been such a strange dream… Midna had been there… telling him something… but he had been too overcome with shock to remember what she had said exactly. He sighed. Midna… He hoped she was doing well back at the Twilight Palace. He wished she hadn't destroyed that damn mirror…

It was about midday. There was no way he would be able to get back to sleep now, so he sat up and rubbed his eyes. With one last look around, he left the sanctuary and headed towards the path to Death Mountain. It was times like these that he wished he could warp.

He was about to enter the path when Talo called him. "LINK! UP HERE!"

He smiled a little, and decided he may as well visit. He talked to a few Gorons who happily gave him short cuts to the top where Talo stood by the pole Link had once shot with an arrow. "Hey," Link said once he reached the top.

"Link! I'm glad you're here. Look over there," he said, pointing towards the graveyard. "I saw Beth go over there earlier. She hasn't come back. Could you check on her?" His expression turned worried.

Link smiled gently. "Sure, don't worry. I'll go do that now."

Talo calmed down a bit. "Thanks, Link."

"No problem," he said, and turned back towards the graveyard.

Why would Beth spend time in the graveyard? As far as he knew, she didn't know anyone there. And why hadn't she come back? When he arrived, he didn't see her. Had Talo missed her leave? Or… was she…

He crawled through the small tunnel at the very back of the graveyard. Sure enough, across the small body of water, Beth was sitting in front of Ralis's father's grave.

She heard him and spun around. "Link? Wh-what are you doing here?"

He jumped in and swam across to her, trying to not think about how wet he was now. "I'm checking on you. Talo was worried. What are _you _doing here?"

She glanced back at the grave. "I… I just came here to think." Beth sighed and stood up. "Let's go back."

Link looked down at her a bit worriedly. He'd known Beth ever since she was a baby… Seeing her sad made him uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I was just thinking," she said with another sigh. "I won't get to see Ralis again, will I?"

Link was slightly taken aback. He hadn't realized what a liking she had taken to the Zora Prince. Then a thought came to him. "Beth… right now I'm actually doing a favor for Ralis. I'll have to go back to see him soon. Do you want to go with me?"

Her eyes lit up. "Would you really do that?" She smiled. "Link, you're the best." She hugged him tightly and Link was happy to see her mood lighten so much.

They swam back to the other side and left the graveyard.

"I'll be back in a few days to pick you up, alright?" he said.

Beth grinned and hugged him one last time. "Thanks, Link."

With that, Link finally made his way to Death Mountain.

Darbus wasn't hard to find in the least. Link was greeted by every Goron he saw, which made him smile inwardly. The Gorons were such a friendly bunch… when they weren't trying to flatten you like a pancake, that is. Darbus was in the chamber that Link had first entered when he went through the Goron Mines. The Goron stood in the center of the ring where he had once had a wrestling match.

"Hero!" said Darbus. "What brings you here?"

Link pulled out the orb. "This is from Prince Ralis. His mother passed away recently, and he is the new leader of the Zoras. This is a peace offering." He handed it to the Goron.

"I see," he said, and smiled. "Thank you, Hero."

"And… I was wondering if you heard any news about a Zora named Malius?"

He paused and looked up thoughtfully. "I haven't, sorry."

"Thank you," Link said. He smiled and waved his goodbye to the Goron leader.

Though he didn't walk away with anymore news of Malius, he had delivered another of Ralis's orbs and was off to his first lead to help Malius.

~!~ **(is it just me or does that look like an exclamation point with wings? Anyone? Anyone? No?)**

Zelda gazed out her window. Link was already doing things for people. And on top of that, as soon as he returned, he would be knighted and given more responsibilities for Hyrule. Was he even sure he wanted to do this? She sighed and hoped he knew he wasn't required to accept. It was _his_ life, afterall.

But then again, when she thought about it, everything she knew about Link related to him helping other people. The only person that seemed to have actually helped _him_ was Midna. Zelda scoffed. Midna. The Twilight Princess. Zelda knew the truth – she and Midna were more similar than they could imagine. Two sides of one coin. But something about her made Zelda… jealous?

She shook her head. She _was_ jealous. Jealous that Midna had spent so much time with Link. That she probably knew Link better than his friends back home… Zelda knew what Midna had wanted to say as she stepped through the passage to Twilight.

She was going to tell Link that she was in love with her.

But she didn't. Was it because Zelda had been there? Did she have so much of an effect that it kept Midna from expressing her feelings to Link of all people?

Or… was it because she felt she might have been rejected? And if it was rejection she feared, was Link in love with another? Could it be Zelda?

The thought of Link being in love with her set Zelda's heart on edge. She was being a little too optimistic. Though she did plan to tell Link that she loved him, she wasn't sure how he would take it. In her dream scenario, she would tell him in her rose garden… Yes, and then he would tell her how much he loved her in return and kiss her.

She shook her head yet again. She was over thinking this. For now, she would just have to try and assist him. He needed that now.

~!~ **(Am I high or something? God, that looks like it has wings…)**

Link arrived at the hidden village and hurried towards the old woman who had helped him get Ilia's memories back.

There inside, the woman gave Link a letter. "It's good to see you again. I figured it might have been you to return… as you are an important person here, now. Good luck, Hero."

Link thanked her and sighed internally. Hero… He didn't _feel_ like a hero.

He left the small building and opened the letter.

_I don't know what will have become of me by the time you read this. Hopefully I'll be where I planned to end up. I've found an important piece… It allows me to warp. I've gone to Snowpeak in hopes that Yeto and Yeta will be able to help me. I've been injured terribly, and I'm running out of options._

_Signed,_

_Malius, assistant to Prince Ralis_

A sharp sound escaped his lips. Injured? An object that allowed him to warp? Link was getting skeptical. He needed to talk to someone… but who? Typically he would ask Midna, but… that was impossible. Though he really wished he could.

**Ohai! Honestly, I was going to write more, but it's midnight where I am, and I really wanted to update tonight. I hope you liked that taste of drama. Oh, Zelda.**

**And if you didn't notice, I was being a Goron earlier(:**

**Someone tell me those things look like they have wings? ~!~ **

***sigh***

**Well, I have something to tell you all.**

**I, like my friend Twitch, am a review whore.**

**I want your reviews.**

**PLEASE!**

**Catch ya later(:**

…**REVIEW…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ohai! So, really I was writing this and I kept thinking "OH GOD, MUST UPDATE, MUST UPDATE, MUST UPDATE." Because, you see, I haven't updated ANY of my stories in the past few days. **

**In quick reply to a few reviews, yes, the last chapter was rushed… it happens… This chapter is short. It happens. I HAVE EXAMS IN TWO WEEKS. AHHHH.**

**But over winter break the chapters will get MUCH better.**

**And to one last person, Guy (nice name by the way :D ), there will be oodles and doodle of fluff! No worries xD**

**The first… half? Halfish of this chapter is actually relevant to the plot. The other half is a very bored Zelda. Enjoy.**

She'd done it. She'd actually done it. She… she got a message through to him. Midna smiled. She had a feeling that he didn't actually hear it, but she knew she could make a connection. With a little practice, she would soon be able to talk to Link. Link… She missed him so much. And it hadn't even been long at all. What was wrong with her? Why were these emotions so strong? She shook her head. Link… She would give anything for that Hero.

~!~

"Well…" Link began. "Have you seen a Zora up here? Named Malius?"

Yeto paused. "Zora is fish person, yes?" His voice was loud and unrestrained. He had quite an intimidating presence, even to Link who knew the Yeti all too well.

"Yes," Link said, trying to hold back a faint smile.

"Yes! Fish person in house!" Yeto said. He began jumping from foot to foot. "Race to house, uh?"

Link nodded and kicked the tree next to them. A shard of beautiful blue ice fell from the tree, a perfect sled. They raced to the house on Yeto's mark, and Link made it back in less than two minutes, a new personal record.

"You race good, uh!" He said, and led Link inside his home. They were greeted by Yeta who wobbled over to them.

"Uh, Link! You come for fish?" Yeta asked. She gestured towards the door to the hearth of the home. Link nodded with a slight smile and was led to Malius, who was looking way past sick.

Link kneeled beside him. "Malius?" he said quietly.

The Zora gasped and look at him. "You… are the… Hero… correct?" He coughed and the all too familiar scent of blood filled the room.

Link nodded. "Yes… I'm the Hero. Ralis sent me to look for you. What happened?" A dread filled him. Malius was in such awful condition…

"Monsters… snagged me… Found Kakariko… Couldn't find Renado… Made it to Hidden Village…" He coughed again, but this time louder and much more violently. "Tried to get help… Got weaker…" Link's stomach clenched and he didn't know what to do. He could tell that explaining everything was hard on the Zora. It was taking the last of his effort. "Found this…" He produced a small piece of… Twilight? Link stared at the object in disbelief. He took it from the Zora and studied it. Yes… this was definitely from the Twili. "Came here… Yeto tried to help…" The Zora had another cough attack, but this one was worse than the others. Link even stepped back, afraid that he was hurting him by being so close.

"Malius… Why didn't you go back to Ralis? He's worried about you," Link choked out after Malius had calmed down.

He look at the ceiling. "Couldn't… disgrace… Zoras…" He fell silent and Link's worst fears were confirmed. He had been too late. A sharp pain twisted in his stomach. He should have made finding Malius his first priority. But instead he decided to give out those orbs… He stood and walked over to the corpse. He closed the eyes and paused.

What was he supposed to do now? What _could_ he do? Should he take him back to the Zoras? But… he promised Beth he would take her with him. He couldn't let her see this. And… that might not be the best circumstances for a reunion for her and Ralis. Link sighed.

He would take Malius back to the Zoras… Next week, perhaps, he would take Beth with him to the Zora's domain. It just wasn't worth it now.

Link stood and left the room briefly to see Yeto and Yeta. They took in his grave expression. "Fish hurt bad, uh?" said Yeta quietly.

Link nodded. "Yes. I'm going to take him to his home. Thank you both. And here – this is from the Zoras." He handed them a blue orb.

"Thanks, uh!" Yeta said. Link tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. He focused as best he could and warped to the Zora's Domain. Amazingly, he hadn't transformed into a beast… He decided to question that later and focus on the task at hand.

Ralis was looking at him curiously. "Link? Malius? Link, you found him!" the prince cheered. Link's expression became pained and Ralis saw immediately what the problem was. He gulped and hurried to help Link bring Ralis to the surface in front of the throne. A group of Zora's had surrounded them at this point.

Link could tell Ralis was trying to fight back tears. Malius had done so much for him… and now he was gone. And since Ralis was prince, he must've felt as though he could show no weakness. Even Link felt the pain as the mood slowly but surely turned sour. Everyone in the room knew what had happened by the reaction – or rather lack thereof.

~!~

Zelda felt the color leave her face as one of the guards told her of the fallen Zora. Hadn't that been the Zora Link was looking for? Was Link okay?

She worriedly looked out her bedroom window to the north where the Zora's Domain laid just inside in the mountains. Link was actually probably at the celebration…

Zelda knew of the Zora tradition. Instead of a funeral, they have a celebration of that Zora's life. Zelda had attended Rails' mother's celebration. She personally thought the celebration was much more appropriate. The positives are what should be focused on when one passes. She sighed and turned back, looking around her room. What could she do while she waited for his return?

She could go to bar… but she'd been there a lot recently. People might be getting suspicious of the cloaked figure. Perhaps she could go to her rose garden… but that hadn't been so interesting anymore. If Link was there, then she would have a much better time.

Maybe she could leave Castle Town… Maybe she could try to get to the Zora's Domain and find him.

She shook her head. That was absurd. Leaving the Castle was hard enough, let alone the town.

She left her room and began wandering the castle. Guards would bow to her, and she would acknowledge them. It was so… boring here. She needed excitement, thrill. She needed Link. The princess continued through the castle until she bumped into one guard in particular. She muttered an apology before realizing it wasn't the princess thing to do.

The guard, however, apologized and bowed to her. "I'm sorry, Princess. Please forgive me. I wasn't paying attention."

Zelda sighed. "It's fine, really. I was just a little dazed is all. I should have seen you."

The guard shook his head. "It was my fault. Would you like an escort somewhere, Princess?"

She shook her head and began walking again, trying to remember the guard's name. What had it been? There were many, many, _many_ guards that worked in Hyrule Castle, but there were a select few that she knew the names of. The others… She was working on learning them all, slowly but surely.

Goddesses, what was there to do around here? She made her way to the library. Maybe there was _one_ book she hadn't read…

**So originally I had planned on making this longer, but I was writing, and now it's ten thirty, and I won't be on in a reasonable amount of time to be able to post… So I decided to stop here. Reviews are WONDERFUL. They make me update faster, y'know?**

**Well, beautiful people, I hope you have a wonderful life until I see you again!**

**REVIEW!**

**(Does saying that actually make you want to review?)**


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